Friday, October 16, 2009

Rebuilding Gaza's infrastructure with mud


Since the war on Gaza ended, a number of houses have been built using mud to create simple, square, two or three-room homes. The new Sheikh Zayed police station is one of the larger and more ambitious projects.
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13 comments:

  1. vzaOctober 16, 2009 at 5:20 AM

    <span><span>In contrast to Gaza's basic new mud-brick homes, with their cracked-earth finish inside and rough, straw-flecked outer layer, the police station design replicates that of the elegant, traditional Palestinian stone or brick buildings: neatly-packed rows of brick frame windows and doorways in graceful arcs; with surprisingly smooth domes that top off vaulted rooms and corridors. The one-level station, with its multiple rooftop domes, resembles the architecture of Palestinian homes from Nablus to Jerusalem.</span></span>

    Beautiful! Much more interesting than cement blocks.

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  2. yasminOctober 16, 2009 at 6:05 AM

    something is very wrong in the world.

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  3. ananOctober 16, 2009 at 6:36 AM

    It is beautiful VZA.

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  4. VAAOctober 16, 2009 at 3:34 PM

    Beautiful! Much more interesting than cement blocks.
    --------
    Do you think Israel maintain their siege on Gaza so Palestinians can have more interesting buildings ?  

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  5. vzaOctober 16, 2009 at 4:17 PM

    Oh yes, VAA I must think that! Give me a break!
    This is resistance architecture at its finest.

    What was I SUPPOSED to say, VAA? It's lousy because it was born out of war and occupation? It is beautiful, clever, and inspiring. If I were a Gazan, I would take my children to see it and point to it with pride.
    Have you ever heard the phrase, He/She's more Cathoilic than the Pope? Think about it.

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  6. vzaOctober 16, 2009 at 4:22 PM

    <span>Oh yes, VAA I must think that! Give me a break! 
    This is resistance architecture at its finest. 
     
    What was I SUPPOSED to say, VAA? It's lousy because it was born out of war and occupation? It is beautiful, clever, and inspiring. If I were a Gazan, I would take my children to see it and point to it with pride. 
    Have you ever heard the phrase, He/She's more Catholic than the Pope? Think about it.</span>

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  7. ananOctober 16, 2009 at 6:01 PM

    Nicely said VZA. I feel the same way.

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  8. yasminOctober 16, 2009 at 8:57 PM

    No vza, it IS a bizarre response,  if the prisoners at Auschwitz made an innovative sculpture with human bones what would your reaction be.  How innbovative?

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  9. vzaOctober 16, 2009 at 9:05 PM

    What a load of nonsense! You know it even as you write such drivel. Get over yourself, my dear.

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  10. vzaOctober 17, 2009 at 6:33 AM

    Jihad, like so many Palestinians I have spoken with, was frustrated that Gaza is continually being framed as a humanitarian disaster. He stressed that he was more than willing to share his story, but never wanted his family's home to be looked at with pity. Jihad is proud of his accomplishment and sees it as a symbol of pride and resilience.
    Necessity is indeed the mother of invention, but invention is the mother of progress.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/salena-tramel/gazas-mud-homes-build-hop_b_215966.html

    The people of Gaza are more than just victims. In expecting every reaction about Gaza to be framed with the, "Oh poor victim of Israel" theme is insulting and a view of them that is one dimensional. If I were a Palestinian, I would find this whole attitude patronizing in the extreme.
    <div style="position: fixed;">
    <div id="new_selection_block0.8010147516648303" style="border: medium none; overflow: hidden; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/salena-tramel/gazas-mud-homes-build-hop_b_215966.html</div>
    </div>

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  11. vzaOctober 17, 2009 at 6:34 AM

    <span>Jihad, like so many Palestinians I have spoken with, was frustrated that Gaza is continually being framed as a humanitarian disaster. He stressed that he was more than willing to share his story, but never wanted his family's home to be looked at with pity. Jihad is proud of his accomplishment and sees it as a symbol of pride and resilience.  
    Necessity is indeed the mother of invention, but invention is the mother of progress.  
     
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/salena-tramel/gazas-mud-homes-build-hop_b_215966.html  
     
    The people of Gaza are more than just victims. In expecting every reaction about Gaza to be framed with the, "Oh poor victim of Israel" theme is insulting and a view of them that is one dimensional. If I were a Palestinian, I would find this whole attitude patronizing in the extreme.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/salena-tramel/gazas-mud-homes-build-hop_b_215966.html </span>

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  12. VAAOctober 17, 2009 at 3:34 PM

    vza
    Back in May a Similar story was posted by Saif.
    Your response then (I remember) was similar to your response now.Here's  Saif's response to your comment , it's as valid now as it was then.Note Saif wasn't more Catholic than the pope.
    BTW I can't locate your comment as you disabled access to your previous comments . 

    Saif:
    Vza,
    I can understand what it is you are trying to say.  But we used to have houses.  Now we are not permitted to have them and we are not permitted to buy the buildings materials that we need.  These people are getting forced to build a home out of mudd not to be friendly with the enviroment.  The only reason why we are poor is not because "fate" decided to make us that way,,,,, Gazza is filled with professionals all every time that make Good money when they are allowed to work.
    Nobody in Palestine will look at these mudd houses with happiness or pride, when I read this I felt sick to my stomach.
    The Israelis want to take us back thousands of years and the Arabs are helping them do that.
    Again this is not an attack against you, I understand how you as an American have a perspective that is entirely different.
    But you had a hurricane in New Orleaans???  Imagine that the White President durring those years said that there can be no more cement or materials to rebuild the homes there.  And imagine all those black people would have to build a home made of mudd.
    Do you think you can read that news and say "those people should be proud those poor families can make a cozy home"  ??????
    I dont want to make you feel "attacked" all I am doing is trying to make you see why your comment can sound very,,,, rude.
    8 May 2009 11:46:41 AM AEST
    http://angryarabscommentsection.blogspot.com/2009/05/mideast-palestinians-rebuild-with-mud.html#jsid-1241771325-10

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  13. vzaOctober 17, 2009 at 5:32 PM

    Sorry, those were his thoughts and perhaps yours. That does not mean they should or must be mine or anyone else's. Of course, Saif is not more Catholic than the Pope because he IS Palestinian and you are not.
    He also wrote this:
    <span>Nobody in Palestine will look at these mudd houses with happiness or pride, when I read this I felt sick to my stomach.</span>

    Nobody is in the position to speak for ALL Palestinians, even Saif! And according to the article I posted, the quote from the man who built the first mud house clearly shows there is a difference of opinion!

    <span><span>Jihad, like so many Palestinians I have spoken with, was frustrated that Gaza is continually being framed as a humanitarian disaster. He stressed that he was more than willing to share his story, but never wanted his family's home to be looked at with pity. Jihad is proud of his accomplishment and sees it as a symbol of pride and resilience.</span></span>

    <span><span>Now, I have no problem with your opinion or anyone else's opinion of the mud houses but I DO have a problem with either the stated or implied notion that because I see something positive in them, I am somehow unfeeling of what caused the need in the first place! That is pure nonsense and I suspect you know it!
    </span></span>

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